Doctrinal Mastery Review 18

Understand Doctrine

One purpose of doctrinal mastery is to help you better understand the Savior’s teachings. This lesson will give you an opportunity to deepen your understanding of the truths taught in various Book of Mormon doctrinal mastery passages.

Helping students learn to link scripture passages. Cross-referencing or linking scriptures can help students better understand gospel doctrine and principles and see how they are taught throughout different books of scripture. Help students learn to use cross-references provided in footnotes and other study aids. Encourage them to create their own links using general conference talks, Church manuals and magazines, and other trusted sources.

Student preparation: Invite students to prayerfully choose a Book of Mormon doctrinal mastery passage that could bless their life as they study it.

Possible Learning Activities

A doctrinal mastery passage lesson may need to be taught in place of this review lesson. Refer to the pacing schedule provided by the area or region director or coordinator to ensure that each doctrinal mastery passage lesson will be taught while seminary is in session.

Who are you?

Imagine that someone you just met wanted to know more about you. If they asked each of the following people to write a one-sentence description of something positive about you, what do you think each person would write?

To help students get to know each other better and increase class unity, invite students to write down and hand in sentences they think the following people would use to describe them. Inform them that their papers may be read aloud. Read a few of the papers to the class, pausing after each to see if students can identify which classmate is being described.

1. Your best friend

2. Your parent or guardian

3. Your bishop or branch president

• How might talking to different people who know you help someone understand you better?

Similarly, studying and comparing truths found in multiple doctrinal mastery passages can help you understand the Savior and His doctrine more completely than relying on any single passage.

Understanding scripture passages

Students could complete the following activity on paper in groups of three or on the board as a class.

Draw a large triangle, and label its three points with the following three scripture references. Invite students to write in the triangle truths that each passage adds to their understanding. Then discuss how all three passages help teach the process of gaining a testimony.

Read the doctrinal mastery passage Moroni 10:4–5, and record what you learn from it.

Then study 2 Nephi 28:30 and Ether 12:6. Record what each adds to your understanding of Moroni 10:4–5. (You might consider cross-referencing or linking these passages to each other.)

Understanding gospel topics

Using multiple scripture passages can be helpful when you want to learn more about a specific topic. For example, you may want to learn more about Jesus Christ. From the following chart, choose at least three doctrinal mastery passages that teach about Jesus Christ. Compare what you learn about Him from each passage.

Consider displaying the following chart.

Book of Mormon Doctrinal Mastery: Alma–Moroni

Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)

Scripture Reference	Key Scripture Phrase
Scripture Reference Alma 7:11–13	Key Scripture Phrase “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind.”
Scripture Reference Alma 34:9–10	Key Scripture Phrase “There must be an atonement made, … an infinite and eternal sacrifice.”
Scripture Reference Alma 39:9	Key Scripture Phrase “Go no more after the lusts of your eyes.”
Scripture Reference Alma 41:10	Key Scripture Phrase “Wickedness never was happiness.”
Scripture Reference Helaman 5:12	Key Scripture Phrase “It is upon the rock of our Redeemer … that ye must build your foundation.”
Scripture Reference 3 Nephi 11:10–11	Key Scripture Phrase “I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.”
Scripture Reference 3 Nephi 12:48	Key Scripture Phrase “Be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”
Scripture Reference 3 Nephi 27:20	Key Scripture Phrase “Come unto me and be baptized … that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost.”
Scripture Reference Ether 12:6	Key Scripture Phrase “Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”
Scripture Reference Ether 12:27	Key Scripture Phrase “If men come unto me … then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
Scripture Reference Moroni 7:45–48	Key Scripture Phrase “Charity is the pure love of Christ.”
Scripture Reference Moroni 10:4–5	Key Scripture Phrase “Ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ … [and] by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

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• How does each passage you chose help you better understand the Savior?

Consider displaying a picture of Jesus Christ on the board and inviting students to write around the picture some of the references they chose and truths they found.

Your choice

Heavenly Father loves you and knows what you need in your life, now and in the future. Consider asking Him in prayer to help you choose a passage or topic from the chart above to study. Use the skills of linking and studying topically that you practiced today to learn more about the passage or topic you choose. You might use the following steps to guide you:

If you choose to complete the following activity as a class, invite the class to choose together which passage or gospel topic they want to learn more about.

Then invite students to work in small groups to find as many related doctrinal mastery passages as they can in a given amount of time.

Finally, invite students to explain how the additional passages they found increase their understanding of the chosen passage or topic.

1. Locate the complete list of doctrinal mastery passages and key scripture phrases found at the end of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023).

2. Choose and read at least two Book of Mormon doctrinal mastery passages that relate to the passage or topic you chose to study. Write how each passage increases your understanding of the passage or topic you selected.

3. Choose and read at least two additional doctrinal mastery passages from other scripture courses that add to your understanding of the Book of Mormon passage or topic you selected. Write how each passage increases your understanding of the Book of Mormon passage or topic you selected.

Ponder how consistently applying what you practiced today in your scripture study at home could help you.

If students completed the preceding activity individually, invite them to share with students around them the Book of Mormon passage or topic they chose and what they learned from each passage they found.

If time permits, consider repeating this activity, beginning with a different passage or topic.